Physical Description

Identifiers

Dentals: UnknownFingerprints: UnknownDNA: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Blue Navy suit was slightly faded, three white stripes on square cut collar and also on the wrists of his sleeves. Straight bottom long pants, high front pockets, pants buttoned to waist, safety pin replacing button in back. New black shoes with welt seam from toe to instep, brown short socks, no cap or undergarments.Jewelry: UnknownAdditional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance

On Tuesday, September 5, 1944, Jackie attended his first day of school. His mom sent him with a note saying an older brother would pick him up, but when school let out the teacher allowed Jackie to leave on his own. His home was on the corner of Lake Avenue south and east Railroad Street in Paynesville; that address is now a vacant lot.

When he didn’t come home, his mom called the sheriff. That prompted a massive search with hundreds of volunteers. Boy Scout troops from neighboring towns were called in to help. Sheriff’s department blood hounds and even the civil air patrol took part.

It was a blood hound that found the only clue. It followed Jackie’s scent on a wandering trail leading away from the school down to the river that runs through town. Newspaper records detail how the dog then tracked the scent away from the river, through the west end of Paynesville, and out to a ditch along Old Highway 23.

From there Jackie’s scent vanished. There was strong speculation that little Jackie had been abducted.